


Every Time I Fall

by kaithereal



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 19:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7726771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaithereal/pseuds/kaithereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a routine mission. It wasn’t something that Kyungsoo nor Jongin were unfamiliar with yet everything went horribly wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Time I Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a great jumble of words and an even greater jumble of thoughts. The idea of cities and ranked guardians came from One Punch Man because…who doesn’t love OPM? Also, Jongin’s eyes are described to be two different colours in this story. That is not a mistake. When a guardian loses too much of their energy it becomes a different colour. I’m sorry that this fic is so rushed, thank you A for putting up with my ramblings whilst writing this fic! 
> 
> This fic was originally written for kaisooaufest on livejournal!

It was a routine mission. It wasn’t something that Kyungsoo nor Jongin were unfamiliar with yet everything went horribly wrong. A rogue group of class C guardians were using their powers to terrorize City E. Their sudden attacks were enough to cause a city-wide evacuation and was enough for the organization to send Jongin and Kyungsoo to assess and neutralize the situation. When Jongin and Kyungsoo got there they were greeted with destruction and rubble littering the surface of what was left of City E. There were more members of the rouge group than expected but it was nothing that Jongin and Kyungsoo couldn’t deal with. The 3rd and 5th ranked class S guardians had not hesitated when they threw themselves into the action as they started to eliminate each member of group one by one. Jongin has just thrown an electric-based guardian into the ocean when he had heard Kyungsoo yell.

  
“GODDAMNIT GET OUT THE WAY!”

  
Jongin had teleported back just in time to see his partner run towards a rugged-looking man holding a bottle filled with alcohol and teetering in his spot. Kyungsoo had thrown up a haphazard wall of earth to protect himself from the monstrous wave of water the was headed towards the unsuspecting man. Kyungsoo held out his left hand and rope of earth snaked around the man’s waist and flung him out of harm’s way. Kyungsoo’s protective wall was not enough to hold up against the wave created by eight water-based guardians. The barrier had messily melted away as the water hit Kyungsoo with such a force that he was knocked back a few hundred metres. Jongin had watched in horror as Kyungsoo’s body bounced violently against the ground before coming to an abrupt halt. Kyungsoo was unmoving, a puddle of blood slowly pooling around his being.

  
Jongin only had time to remember to press the back-up button on his headset before going on a rampage filled with rage. By the time Sehun and Baekhyun had arrived, bodies were strewn across the debris, Jongin’s cutlass dripping blood and a wild look in his silver eyes.

  
“JONGIN ENOUGH!” Baekhyun had roared. The sound of his voice brought the younger back to the dire situation. Snarling, Jongin had sprinted towards Kyungsoo and used the last of his power to teleport Kyungsoo back to headquarters.

\----

It’s been two days since Kyungsoo’s intensive emergency healing session with the 4th ranked S guardian, Yixing, but he has yet to awaken. Jongin’s been uncontrollable, temper flaring and at anyone and everyone and he hasn’t slept in over 48 hours. His eyes are bloodshot and his lips are dried and cracked. Everyone has been tiptoeing around the 3rd ranked guardian, giving him space to grieve. Yixing’s prognosis is grim. Kyungsoo is given ten days before he is likely to succumb to the injuries that he physically sustained. The internal damage is also substantial, slowly shutting down the vital organs in Kyungsoo’s body.

  
Eventually, Jongin’s energy is drained and after a loving and concerned question is asked by SM’s top ranking class S guardian, Joonmyeon, Jongin breaks down. No word are exchanged as Joonmyeon lets the younger sob into his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles on Jongin’s back. After Jongin’s weeping is reduced to tired sniffles, Joonmyeon gently lifts the former’s head up.

  
“Hey,” he says softly, using his thumb to wipe a stray tear from Jongin’s face. Jongin lets out a sad whimper.

  
“Now, now,” the elder chides softly, “Where did the Kim Jongin I know disappear to? The Kim Jongin I know would never give up until he exhausts all options. He’s headstrong and has willpower greater than anyone else I know. The Kim Jongin I know also loves fiercely and is filled with compassion. THAT is the Jongin that Kyungsoo needs right now.”

  
There is more silence as Jongin’s sniffling eventually fades away. Jongin looks at Joonmyeon with a new fire burning in his warm brown eyes.

  
“I’m going to find a cure for Kyungsoo,” he announces with a new vigor and determination, “even if I have to die for it.”

\----

Over the next eight days, Jongin searches far and wide a possible cure for Kyungsoo. Jongin’s visits to City S, the country’s most renown hub for healing runes and potions. His visits are so frequent that the citizens no longer marvel at the presence of the Class-S guardian.

  
Jongin’s about to teleport back to headquarters after yet another unsuccessful day of searching when he notices a strange small shop tucked away in the outermost corner of the city. The lights inside are dim, seemingly nobody inside. Curious, Jongin walks up to the front window. Soot and dust cover the window panes making it hard for the silver-haired man to get a good look inside.

  
A little cautious but unwilling to give up, Jongin makes a move to knock on the front door. Before he could rap his knuckles against the wood, the door swings open with a loud creak. Now on full alert, Jongin inches into the seemingly abandoned shop, ready to teleport away if he’s put in imminent danger. The door swings shut behind him with a loud SLAM and suddenly he’s blinded by flashes of light and colour. Panicked, Jongin moves to teleport out when he hears a, “Jongin, wait!”

  
The lights dim down and the colours stop swirling to reveal a man dressed in extravagant clothing with a matching outlandish hairstyle. The dusty shop is also no longer there. Instead, Jongin finds himself in what he would describe as a palace. Beautiful architecture surrounds him, decked out in expensive furniture and odd-looking potions. The man in front of him looks close to his age, Jongin thinks to himself, only if he looses the ridiculous pastel blazer and mismatched shoes.

  
“Before you leave,” the man starts, “I’m not here to harm you in any way. In fact, I’ve been waiting for you to find my humble abode,” the man says this with an exaggerated sweep of his arm.

  
“My name is Lee Taemin, you can call me Taemin. Word has it that you’re looking for a cure to save your dying friend?”

  
Jongin winces at Taemin’s wording. His blunt words dig deeper into his wounded heart that still raw and bleeding out.

  
“Well if you put it that way,” Jongin mutters darkly, giving Taemin an unimpressed look.

  
If Taemin notices the attitude, he doesn’t show it as he walks towards Jongin.

  
“I can help you with your problem,” he says cheerfully, “and because I’m feeling nice today, I won’t charge you for the information that I’m about to give you,” Taemin says with a grin.

  
“Great,” Jongin retorts, still on edge.

  
Taemin snaps his fingers and a map appears in his hand. Jongin’s eyebrows shoot up. He should have realized when Taemin’s shop seeming transformed in front of his eyes but he missed it when Taemin’s overall presence is more of a shocker.

  
“A sorcerer? I thought they didn’t exist,” Jongin muses out loud. Taemin makes a tutting sound.

 

“There are many things you don’t know,” he accuses, waving his hand dismissively with his nose in the air. “Anyways, do you want this information or are you just going to stand there and question me all day?”

  
Jongin rolls his eyes. The fear is long gone and it’s replaces by annoyance. “Sorry,” he says, not really meaning it.

  
Taemin points at a place on the map. Instantly the point starts to glow and Taemin looks at Jongin. “El Dorado,” he says plainly.

  
Jongin looks at Taemin incredulously. Maybe Taemin is a little crazy after all. “El Dorado doesn’t exist,” Jongin exclaims, “It’s just a myth!”

  
Taemin’s eyes twinkle. “Ah hah, but that was before this world was gifted with our first true teleporter, am I correct?”

  
Jongin gapes at the other. No one except the top twelve S-ranked guardians knew about Jongin’s special ability. Jongin’s not the first guardian to be gifted with the power of teleportation, nor will he be the last one, however he can do something that no other teleporters can. He could teleport to places he has never seen before, something that no other teleporter could do.

  
“T-This is ridiculous,” he stammers, taken aback by Taemin’s outrageous proposal. “El Dorado doesn’t exist. I can’t teleport there.”

  
“You’re a horrible liar,” Taemin muses, “Your eyes say everything. Well, it’s up to you if you want to go or not. I can’t make you go. However, I do recall you telling another shop vendor that you’d do anything to save this Kyungsoo person,” Taemin raises an eyebrow, “If you do decide to go, there’s a special rune that you need to find. It has this,” Taemin waves his hand and another piece of parchment appears, “symbol on it. Bring it back to Kyungsoo and I can guarantee it will help.”

  
Taemin pauses. “I did say you don’t need to pay me but if you could get me a little something something as a souvenir, you’ll be my new hero.”

  
Before Jongin could reply, there’s another blinding light and more swirls of colour before he finds himself standing outside the dusty abandoned building once more.

\----

That night, Jongin makes his decision. Joonmyeon’s words ring clear in his mind.

The Kim Jongin I know would never give up until he exhausts all options…THAT is the Kim Jongin Kyungsoo needs right now.

Taking a deep breath, Jongin tries picturing El Dorado in his mind. He focuses on a vague image that he made up himself. He tries to teleport there and…nothing. When Jongin opens his eyes, he’s still in his shared bedroom, and Kyungsoo’s bed is still very empty.

  
Jongin tries again. And again. And again. He tries for 11 hours straight, the sun starting to rise as he makes his latest attempt. He’s exhausted and even if El Dorado exists and he makes it there, he’s not sure if he even has the energy to find the rune Taemin mentioned. The rune’s pattern is beautiful, simple lines that create a bold image. Jongin’s never seen a rune like that before, so ethereal yet simplistic.

  
Realization dawns on Jongin then and he scrambles upright from his half-asleep, slouched posture. Focusing on the picture of the rune, Jongin closes his eyes. Adrenaline runs through his body and he feels the familiar rush when he’s about to teleport.

  
When he opens his eyes, he immediately squints, unprepared for the sight in front of him. Gold stretches from his left to his right for as far as the eye can see. Everything looks eerily perfect, magnificent in all it’s golden glory. Slightly perturbed, Jongin takes a step to start looking for the rune. Suddenly the ground beneath him starts to tremble, the tremors increasing in intensity every second that passes by. Jongin panics as all the gold around him starts getting swallowed into the ground in an endless whirlwind of golden items. He teleports around the area, desperate to find the rune in the rapidly sinking sea of gold. He pictures the rune once more in his mind, hoping fervently for a miracle when he teleports once more. He finds himself in another section of the golden city, and directly in front of him, sitting atop of a golden platter, is the rune. The same pattern that Taemin showed his is carved neatly into the gold, shimmering in the light amidst the chaos. Jongin quickly grabs it and teleports back to headquarters before he could get swallowed along with the gold.

\----

Jongin blinks as his eyes take time to focus on his surroundings. He’s not in his room, where he initially wanted to teleport back to. In his rush, he must have teleported back to the person he wants to see the most.

  
Yixing is sitting beside Kyungsoo’s bed, head resting on his arm as sleeps. Kyungsoo’s sudden condition affected the 12 guardians, everyone taking turns to watch over him and care for his lifeless body. The noise Jongin made when he teleported into the room was enough to rouse Yixing, the latter opening his eyes slowly. He sits up and yawns, arms stretching above his head before lowering back onto the bed. He glances at Jongin, eyes still half closed.

  
“What time is it?” He asks sleepily.

  
“I got the rune,” Jongin blurts out, ignoring the elder’s question in favor of thrusting the golden stone into Yixing’s open palm.

 

  
Yixing blinks. “What is this?”  
“It’s going to heal Kyungsoo. Trust me. Just use it on him. Please,” Jongin begs.

  
“But I’ve never seen this rune bef-“ Yixing stops in the middle of his sentence when he notices Jongin’s anxious expression. He takes a look at Kyungsoo’s deathly pale face and then sighs.  
“Alright, I’ll see what I can do,” he replies, rolling up his sleeves. He holds the rune above Kyungsoo’s body and closes his eyes. At first nothing happens but slowly, the rune starts to glow softly, along with Kyungsoo’s body. Jongin stares amazed as some of Kyungsoo’s more visible wounds start healing up slowly, open cuts closing to leave smooth, blemish free skin. It takes another minute or so before the rune stops glowing and Yixing opens his eyes. The healer looks shocked at what just happened, right hand still clutched tightly around the rune. Both men share a glance before looking over at Kyungsoo.

  
Kyungsoo’s body seems to be free of all injuries, and when Yixing goes to check, he announces with glee that all his internal injuries seemed to have miraculously healed as well. They wait for another half an hour, Jongin fully expecting Kyungsoo to wake up but he does not. When a full hour comes around, worry gnaws at Jongin once more. Yixing puts a comforting hand on the younger’s shoulder.

  
“He’s fully healed Jongin, you already did the impossible by finding this rune. He will wake up, just give him some time.” After a few more soothing pats, Yixing leaves Jongin alone in the room with Kyungsoo.

\----

Jongin doesn’t know when he falls asleep. The fatigue from the past few days finally catches up with him and he knocks out on the chair. Jongin stirs when he feels a hand brush his stray hair away from his forehead. The same hand then moves down and caresses his cheek. The hand is warm, familiar and comforting and Jongin opens his eyes with a groan. He squints as his eyes adjust to the brightness of the room. Sitting up, Jongin see someone sitting up on the bed in front of him.

  
“Good morning sleepy head,” a deep, velvety voice greets, the person’s smile audible in his words.

  
“Kyungsoo,” Jongin breathes out, staring at the man in front of him. Kyungsoo’s still in the infirmary gown that Yixing changed him into when he was brought in. The other man has a healthy glow to his skin, although his cheeks are slightly sunken in from not eating solid food for over 10 days.

  
“Kyungsoo,” Jongin repeats, still unable to process the fact that Kyungsoo’s very much awake and sitting in front of him.

  
“Are you going to keep gaping or are you going to kiss me?” Kyungsoo asks with a chuckle.

  
Jongin doesn’t hesitate then, leaning into to press his lips against Kyungsoo’s. Both of their lips are slightly chapped and Jongin’s pretty sure he has morning breath but he kisses Kyungsoo as if he hasn’t seen the other for years.

  
When they run out of breath, Kyungsoo pulls away with a laugh.

“Whoah there, I’m happy to see you too,” he murmurs, pressing his forehead to Jongin’s.

Jongin embraces the smaller, nuzzling up to him. “Not as much as I am to see you,” he replies earnestly.

\----

Later that night, Taemin opens his front door to see a golden mushroom sitting on the ground. There are no traces of the person that left it there but Taemin bends down to pick up the treasure. He frowns as he looks at the shape of the golden fungus. He put too much trust in Jongin’s taste of house décor.


End file.
